Amazingly there used to be a time when shipping container architecture was nothing more than a novel idea. Sure, a lot of people could foresee the sustainability benefits from constructing a home or office, or even a restaurant, with recycled shipping containers. But most thought they were simply too ugly for the uses of shipping containers to be anything other than a shipping vessel.
Creativity and Design Paved The Way for Incredible Uses of Shipping Containers
There are some extremely talented architects and designers out there with a knack for design and creativity. Its these special people who think outside the box to, well, create incredible uses of shipping containers!
Port Shipping Containers have collected 15 Incredible Uses of Shipping Containers for you to enjoy below.
The San Antonio Guest House (Poteet Architects)
Who’d want to live in a bricks and mortar home when they could stay in this stunning guest house? The house boasts extra windows to really make the most of the light. The decking area makes for handy additional space and overall the shipping container has been converted into an absolute haven.
There’s a luxurious feel to the guest house but it’s maintained a degree of industrial roots. Guests will spot the shipping codes on the outside ñ a contrast to the tranquil roof garden on the container.
Photo Credit:
https://www.poteetarchitects.com/container-guest-house/el3tul6pxnaxmf9btpn6hiwcc144p4
Insta House (Maziar Behrooz Architecture)
If you’re a fan of woodland living, and minimalist touches, you’ll love this home. The container brings the forest indoors and most of the space has been upcycled. Light is used to the containerís advantage and while all life’s essentials are included, there is absolutely no clutter.
Photo Credit:
https://www.mbarchitecture.com/insta-house
Beach House (CCCA)
You’ll find this beach-side shipping container on the shores of New Zealand. Itís adorned with just a few carefully chosen colours as well as textures like timber, zinc and concrete. The container home has been furnished to work effortlessly with the natural work around it.
Photo Credit:
blog.organicspamagazine.com
Port-aBach (Atalier Workshop)
These are seriously clever spaces designed to be portable holiday homes. Your days of caravanning and camping will be over once you fall in love with these container homes that let you set up wherever you want, whenever you want (so long as you can transport the containers).
The containers have been furnished and painted in lighter colours. Bright, natural woods have been used to make the rooms feel bright and breezy. Maybe youíd like to set up amongst a shipping container community where you could visit a container coffee shop; a container shopping precinct or even a shipping container pop up gallery. This is an example of such incredible uses of shipping containers that are available to us today.
Photo Credit:
https://inhabitat.com/port-a-bach-a-globetrotting-shipping-container-micro-home-on-wheels/atelier-workshop-recycled-container-home-port-a-bach-1/
Container City II (Urban Space Management)
Container City I was so successful that number II was a sure hit. The colourful, zigzag shaped design is eye catching and the stacked containers were designed to provide studios and workshops for creators, designers and artists.
Within the containers you will find plenty of room and the porthole windows tend to allow for loads of natural light to enter. The extended balconies are a fantastic creation of additional space and show that man-made and functional materials can look incredible with a little imagination.
Photo Credit:
http://www.containercity.com/container-city-2
Mobile Dwelling Unit ñ MDU (Lot-Ek)
These shipping units were re-designed for globe-trotting, on the go living. They have push out living and storage areas that can be retracted to make the boxes even more nifty and compact. They’re highly mobile, too, when it comes time to hit the road.
Photo Credit:
https://lot-ek.com/MDU-Mobile-Dwelling-Unit
The Beach House (De Maria Design)
This is a truly luxurious beach dwelling. It looks so glamorous and yet the entire home is based around stack shipping containers and a very simple, pre-fabricated frame structure. The building is airy, light and really elegant. Itís been engineered intelligently, too, to offer an indestructible yet highly affordable space.
Photo Credit:
https://demariadesign.com/2/index.php/projects-sp-12198?id=53
Venice Beach Residences (De Maria Design)
Also be De Maria Design, the Venice Beach Residences have been constructed as studio space for artists in LA, along Venice Beach. They also serve as low impact and attractive residences. There are loads of inserted windows and plenty of bright glass to capture the Californian sunshine.
Photo Credit:
https://demariadesign.com/2/index.php/projects-sp-12198?id=55
Eco Pod (EcoPod)
The EcoPod is a reconfigured shipping container designed to deserve as a recreational space for those who are environmentally minded and keen to get off the grid. It’s a great getaway solution that you could stick at the bottom of the garden or on a piece of land to just chill out.
Photo Credit:
https://tinyhouseblog.com/pre-fab/ecopods/
Loft 30 Surf (Infiniski)
Spanish firm Infiniski created this atmospheric shipping container house. The company are responsible for loads of incredible homes across Spain, all made form used shipping containers.
Photo Credit:
http://www.infiniski.com/world/gallery.html
Edifico Viviendas Chile (Infiniski)
Another creation from Infiniski that has been designed around containers that have been regularly placed to form a huge, light and rather colourful complex located in Vina del Mar, Chile. Itís chilled communal living at its finest.
Photo Credit:
https://www.infiniski.cl/edificio-viviendas-chile.php
Cordell House (Numen Development)
The Cordell House is made from three shipping containers. The aim was to provide modern but child-friendly living, perfect for young families. The home is light and spacious and best of all, as the family grows, so more containers can be added. That’s the beauty of shipping container housing.
Photo Credit:
https://www.thecoolist.com/cordell-house-shipping-container-architecture/
House in a House (Adam Kalkin)
This amazing structure makes uses of plenty of stacked containers to create a house within a house. Itís functional, creative, liveable and simply gorgeous.
Photo Credit:
https://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/living/living-space/container-houses-by-adam-kalkin/
Sri Lankan Lakeside Retreat
This lakeside retreat is something special. Soldiers assembled the shipping container retreat, complete with massive timber rooftop deck ñ perfect for watching a romantic sunset.
Photo Credit:
https://ecocontainerhome.com/lakeside-container-retreat-in-sri-lanka/
eCORRE Complex (APHIdoIDEA)
While this isn’t a home in the technical sense, the eCORRE complex in downtown Los Angeles is an amazing structure comprising no less than 65 shipping containers. The units are staggered to look like a fascinating beehive.
Photo Credit:
https://architizer.com/projects/ecorre-complex/
The uses of Shipping containers can be anything from perfectly functional standard homes to whacky, romantic, over the top or simply stunning structures.
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